Unveiled at the Johannesburg International Motor Show recently, the 2012 Subaru XV combines the company’s newest design and technology with crossover appeal.
The XV offers the practicality, ground clearance and ride height of a SUV, but also offers the manoeuvrability and driving comfort of a family car. Subaru say the new XV is, “the ideal car in which to explore and enjoy city life.”
The XV features a number of typical Subaru design traits – such as the hexagonal grille and hawk eye-style headlights. The XV’s aluminum wheels convey a sense of depth, while remaining fashionably urban, thanks to the contrast between the silver spokes and black surrounds.
The XV’s practicality is to be found with doors that open wider than ever before to ease entry and egress. The distance between the floor and the top of the side sill has also been reduced, meaning that the driver and passengers do not have to lift their legs as high as before when entering or leaving the vehicle. The corners of the front and rear bumpers have been redesigned to enhance the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle.
The interior is more spacious and luxurious than before, which has been achieved by moving the A-pillar forward to increase interior space. As a result, there is considerably more knee room for rear-seat occupants – more than any other vehicle in its class. There is more shoulder and elbowroom than before too, thanks to improvements in the internal structure of the doors.
A large LCD monitor, which provides important information (current gear, for instance), is located in the centre of the instrument cluster. The steering wheel is covered in leather and includes satellite controls for the on-board computer, audio, and cruise control.
The XV is available with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder DOHC petrol engine, which delivers 110 kW of power at 6 200 r/min and 196 Nm of torque at 4 200 r/min. This engine is part of the brand new FB range of engines, which also powers the new Forester and retains Subaru’s proven benefits of the horizontally-opposed engine while offering a 10 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. The 2.0-litre petrol engine is mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or Subaru Lineartronic CVT Box.
The Subaru XV is equipped with the company’s Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive and advanced Subaru Dynamic Chassis Control Concept.
The new XV will become available in South Africa in the first quarter of 2012.
Source: Subaru
